Smoky
by ProfileAccountDeleted
Summary: The newsboys weren't the only kids with a hard life in New York...Imagine having to clean the chimneys! Contains OC and will be possible multi-chapters if enough reviews are given


**Hey all! This is a possible chapter story in the Newsies: The Musical fandom. It is centred around an OC; Smoky, who meets three of the Manhattan boys after saving Les from being stuck in the railing of his house. I originally got this idea from watching a video clip on YouTube from the Mary Poppins musical (Step in Time) and the plot bunny just popped into my head.**

**So yeah, this is an OC story with possible chapters to come, depending on how many reviews I get. Enjoy!**

_**Disclaimer: Newsies is not my property and I do not claim to own any of it, with the exception of this plot and OC insertion.**_

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"Hey Davey, I got saved by a black angel today!" I hid a grin as Les's voice floated up the chimney, before coughing again. "I'd gotten stuck in the railing and Ma and Da were out and I was yelling fer help and she just comes in from the kitchen, all covered in black powder stuff, and pops my arm out." I smiled, keeping my mouth closed of course, and shimmied further up the chimney and into a smaller tunnel that lead to the open air on the roof.

Black angel was the term for us chimney sweeps. We get called this by the little kids because we come out of nowhere and we're covered in soot and black coal dust because we practically live in the chimneys. I know for a fact that when I first started, around three or four, I remember my dress was black after the five hours I worked and it was nearly ripped beyond repair. Now I wear a pair of patchy grey trousers, a large old shirt and a black jacket so you don't see as much difference in the colours.

"Evenin' lad." I jumped, dropping my broom in shock, as three newsboys appeared out of nowhere. I cautiously picked the bristly brush back up, keeping an eye on the boys, before shouldering it and affording them a small grin.

"What can I do fer you gents?" I asked quietly before turning away to cough. "Sorry." The tallest one offered me a slightly dirty old handkerchief and I glanced at my hands before shaking my head. "Appreciated though." I told him, leaning on my broom.

"Oh right, would youse happen to have seen a kid? About yay big and wiv an older brodder about yay wide?" He asked, gesturing with his hands before yelping as one of his mates elbowed him in the side. "Ow, what, it's true. Davey's massive, so's Jack." I cleared my throat, only to cough again, before facing them politely.

"You looking for Les then yeah?" I asked, wiping my mouth. The tall one nodded.

"Tha's right. We got 'im something from the shop on account of it being near his birthday." He explained. I nodded and turned around, gesturing to the chimney stack just behind me.

"Right down there and to the left is Les." I said, pointing my broom in the proper direction. The newsboy on the right arched a sceptical eyebrow and I hurried to defend myself. Because if there's one thing I don't like, it's people questioning my sense of direction.

"I can find me way around anywhere in Manhattan." I said, jutting my chin out. "I know where you're lodge house is, I know where most o' youse work and I know the quickest an' bestest ways to git there." All three boys held their hands up in a motion of surrender and I loosened my shoulders form their ridged defiant set.

"Awright, we meant no harm." The middle one said. I chuckled and he held out his hand. "Name's Albert." I eyed the hand before wiping my own to the best I could and managed to shake hands with Albert. The one of the right introduced himself, hooking his thumbs through his suspenders and rocked on the balls of his feet.

"I'm Romeo." He said before jerking his head to the quiet boy. "That's Jojo." He nodded and I grinned, saluting them as a chimney sweep does.

"My mates call me Smoky but me real name's Madeline." I said, my grin stretching further as all three did a double take. "What's up? Everyone knows girls are smaller, we can do the chimney's better than a boy my age could." Albert jutted his chin out, mirroring my own earlier movement, and smirked.

"How old are you then?" I arched an eyebrow and gripped my broom handle tighter.

"Near seventeen, why?" His shoulders slumped and he nodded.

"Nah alright then, you probably do do a better job than boys." He said before jumping as Jojo elbowed him. "Right, would you be able to drop this in Les and Davey's house? It's just a small thing on account of it being his birthday the day after next." I nodded and glanced between my broom and Albert before thrusting it at him.

"Would you-I mean you don't hafta- but could you hold me broom while I go?" I asked, trailing off pitifully. "It's just it's easier if I don't take it and I kinda trust you only coz you're a newsie." Albert grinned and wrapped his long, ink-stained fingers around the handle, pulling it from my grip.

"No worries, you can count on me." I nodded slowly and received the package from Romeo before back away cautiously.

"I mean it." I said suddenly, on leg over the chimney stack. "If I lose that then Joanna will beat me and I'll not get another one for a week so I won't be able to work." Albert blinked and nodded, seeming to clutch the broom a lot tighter.

"It'll be here when you get back." He promised. I nodded, casting one last longing glance at the broom before swiftly shimmying down the chimney. I easily climbed into the fireplace, the one in Davey's kitchen, and cautiously peeked out. Voices floated in from the other room so I took my chances and darted out, placing the package in the middle of the table, before flying back up the chimney. I used the minute holes in the walls to pull myself back up and out the top.

"Not bad." I muttered, finally getting my fingers over the top of the chimney stack, before yelping in fright as a pair of hands lifted me fully out and into the air. I clutched at the offensive appendages and looked down, relaxing slightly as Albert grinned up at me.

"I thought you saw me." He admitted, placing me down on the roof. I shook my head and practically lunged for my broom, which was leaning against the chimney stack. "Cheers, we wanted it to be a surprise." I nodded and waved him away.

"It's alright, I'd do it again." I said before shouldering my broom. "Now, if you'd es'cuse me, I have one more chimney to clean or else I don't git food." Romeo raised an eyebrow-we seem to do that a lot-and cleared his throat.

"Sorry, but don't you get paid at the end of a chimney?" I shook my head and dropped down the fire escape.

"Nope. The customers will…hire one of us and then pay Joanna. She uses da money ta pay fer food fer all o' us." The boys swung down, following me to the street level where the lamps were just starting to be lit.

"That doesn't seem very fair." Jojo noted. I shrugged and scuffed my boots along the pavement.

"It's life. And actually quite fair." I said before starting to explain patiently. "Every morning, us sweepers git up around three or four. We get a breakfast of bread, honey and a piece of fruit, with one cup of water an' all dat is paid fer by Joanna. We then go out an' do our job and come back aroun' lunch time and she gives us a portion of a roast beef sandwich and a cup of water before we head back and then we go until eight…which I believe is about half an hour away. Gosh, it doesn't half stay light in summer." I wondered, glancing up at the sky, which was a pale golden-pink still. Albert laughed and clapped my shoulder before sticking his hands in his pockets and speeding up ahead of us, whistling a random tune. I turned back to the other two and opened my mouth.

"Is he always like that? No." Jojo interrupted. "By now, he probably would've messed with your cap or stolen something or done something to your boots." Romeo nodded in agreement.

"Yeah it seems he's taken a shine to you." He said quietly, winking at me. I flushed and tugged my cap over my eyes before jumping in fright as someone threw their arm over my shoulders.

"Don't you boys start corruptin' her." Albert said, giving me a cheeky grin. "I do no such thing to anyone." I laughed and ducked under his arm to climb up the next fire escape. "Aw where ya goin'?" He asked. I waved and pointed upwards.

"I got chimneys to clean newsboys." I replied. "So I guess I'll see you later?" They nodded and started walking off, Albert turning back and salute me in the same way I had greeted them earlier. I laughed and waved him away before heading back to work.

That wasn't my first run in with the newsies, though. The next one was even stranger…


End file.
